The present invention relates to a magnetic tape cartridge storage case in which the storage case main body and a closure member which covers the top of the storage case main body are opened and closed freely by a hinge joint for storing a magnetic tape cartridge.
Conventionally, various types of magnetic tape cartridges have been used as recording media for such as computers, and some of such magnetic tape cartridges store single tape reels so as to be rotatable inside the cartridge case with a magnetic tape wound around each of the tape reels.
As shown in FIG. 6, a magnetic tape cartridge 100 includes an upper cartridge 102 and a lower cartridge 103 which form a cartridge case 101 of an approximately square plane shape, and a single tape reel 104 around which a magnetic tape is wound. A toothed portion 106a of a brake button 106 engages with the tape reel 104 by an applied force of a brake spring 105 and the brake button 106 is locked to a projection 102a of the upper cartridge 102 so as not to rotate. Therefore, in this state where the magnetic tape will be neither loosened nor pulled out unexpectedly, accidents caused by the tape slack can be prevented from happening.
When the magnetic tape cartridge 100 is loaded on a recording and playback apparatus of such as a computer, while a driving member of the recording and playback apparatus (not shown), engages with a driving toothed engagement portion 104a of the tape reel 104, the engagement of the brake button 106 and the tape reel 104 is disengaged when a pressing projection of the driving member pushes the brake button 106 upward against the applied force of the brake spring 105. Thus, the magnetic tape can be pulled out-of the tape reel 104 or wound around the tape reel 104 by rotating the tape reel 104 forward or reverse with the driving member. In this case, a metal plate 104b provided inside an annular driving toothed engagement portion 104a is attracted to a magnet on the driving member side to engage the driving member with the driving toothed engagement portion 104a securely.
Although the magnetic tape cartridge storage case 100 which stores the magnetic tape cartridge as described above can be formed in various modes, an instance discussed here may be a storage case where the storage case main body, the closure member and the joining device for attaching the closure member to the storage case main body so as to be opened and closed freely are molded integrally out of material such as synthetic resin.
For the storing of the magnetic tape cartridge inside such storage case as described above, the storage case main body and the closure member are kept open widely first and then the magnetic tape cartridge 100 is placed inside the case storage space of the storage case main body. In this case, the magnetic tape cartridge 100 is located in the case storage space in such a manner that the surrounding wall member of the cartridge case 101 is enclosed inside the side wall members of the storage case main body. Then, the closure member is closed to store the magnetic tape cartridge 100 inside the storage case.
When the magnetic tape cartridge 100 is stored in such a storage case as described above, it is preferable that the magnetic tape cartridge 100 will not move loosely inside the storage case. For preventing such loose movements, it is conceivable to reduce the clearance between the surrounding wall member the cartridge case 101 and the side wall members of the storage case main body which encloses the surrounding wall member.
Although the reduction of clearance is effective in controlling the loose movements of the cartridge case 101 inside the storage case, it is ineffective in controlling the loose movements of the tape reel 104 which is stored inside the cartridge case 101. This causes such problems as powder dust generated by abrasion of the tape reel 104 against the cartridge case 101 and wrinkles on the magnetic tape.